Meet the Modball Rally MINI Team 84.

la comunidad MINI

Jun 30, 2018

Ellie Crisp is a make up artist and beauty specialist based in Leicester. She has the super power to make you look outstanding or…transform you into a zombie. But she also has another big, loud and powerful super power on her hands; the Mighty MINI. And she’s using it for a very good reason.

Her R56 JCW MINI has been modified by LOHEN which is a performance guarantee. Also, it’s been custom vinyl wrapped by Yianni Charalambous, the Celebrity Car customizer. And why are we telling you this? Because Ellie is now on a MINI Adventure through Europe participating in the MODBALL Rally and there are some important things you should know about it.

Ellie, how did your MINI passion started?
I’ve always had a big love of Mini’s particularly John Cooper Works and 3 years ago i finally got the Mighty Mini! Since then I’ve joined lots of forums online and got to know other Mjni drivers and fell in love with minis even more and the community that surrounds it

Tell us about the people of Team 84.
So team 84 consists of me and my boyfriend Charlie. In the last few years since getting the mini he’s been converted from Renault sports to Minis! He now loves them as much as me. We’ve been together for about 6 years and he really brought about my love of cars.

LOHEN and Yianni Charalambous. Your MINI is one in a million.. with a bunch of modifications! What can you tell us about it?
So the mini has had quite a bit of work done to it in preparation for the rally. As there are so many super cars taking part I didn’t want the mini to go unnoticed! Other that the chrome red wrap it’s had a Stage 2 re-map, a ITG high flow panel filter, upgraded NGK spark plugs, Akrapovic sports cat downpipe, Airtec front mount intercooler, Eibach lowering springs, powerflex bushes & a TTV clutch and flywheel kit.

That red vinyl wrap looks amazing and you are a beauty specialist. Was it your idea?
There were a few options of different wraps I was thinking of, but really wanted to stick with the black and red of the John cooper works. The car was originally black with a red roof so we thought it would be fun to flip that round and have a red body and black roof but have it chrome to make it really stand out!

They needed 6 people working for 7 days to finish the job in Avery Supreme Chrome Red. Are you planning to leave it like that or will it be back to its original color?
I’m going to leave it red for as long as I can! The wrap can last up to 5 years!

Tell us about the Modball Rally. How’s your everyday life among Lamborghinis, Ferraris and never-ending roads?
Most days so far have started with us all leaving together and re grouping at a set location to take pictures and set a route for the day. We then head off and meet again in the evening at the hotel. There are 4 other cars doing the rally from Leicester and we have all been staying together as with so many of us you get split up quite easily. These 4 others cars are a BMW M4, Lamborghini Aventador, a Porsche 911 Carrera 2S and a Ferrari California. It’s been the most amazing experience getting to drive alongside these cars and be part of the group. Everyone has been very kind and helpful, a few people have broken down and people are more than willing to stop and help. There are people from all over Europe taking part in the rally so it’s been nice to meet new people who have the same passion as us!

How much time are you both driving every day?
Each day has varied as we have tried to mix the routes up so we are not doing motorways all day every day. Most days we have been driving roughly 7 hours and we have been splitting the driving between us.

Do you have in mind any special moment?
So far the best moment has been driving through the alps, taking in all the views. The roads are amazing with hair pin bends and not many people around so you can really let loose!

There’s also a charity project running with this rally, right?
Modball run a charitable project alongside the rally, if you would like to donate anything please visit the MODBALL website for all the information!

What would you tell to other MINI fans?
I would defiantly recommend getting involved in something like this if you are able to! It’s been an amazing experience so far getting to drive through cities I’ve never been to before and experiencing new cultures and meeting people who are really passionate about cars!

We are sure that when the Modball really is over, Ellie will end up with a third superpower on her hands; the power of making young disadvantaged children happier.